The Pittsburgh Steelers had a clear plan with their 21st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft: bring in wide receiver Makai Lemon. But the Philadelphia Eagles had other plans, as they cut in line and stole the Steelers’ top target. The Steelers left the draft room not only with the missed opportunity but also a phone call blunder, which rival executives have now called out.

“Some execs suggested this is not the first time Pittsburgh has called a prospect early,” noted Mike Sando of The Athletic.

The Eagles picked Lemon with the 20th pick, jumping ahead and crushing the hopes of the Black and Gold. Meanwhile, when the Eagles were still on the clock, the six-time Super Bowl champions were on a call with Lemon, which was a violation of the league’s policy.

Like the Steelers, the USC graduate was a top prospect for Nick Sirianni. However, they were originally sitting at 23 in the first round draft, two places behind Pittsburgh. In the blink of an eye, they played a gamble and made a high-stakes trade with the divisional rival, the Dallas Cowboys

The two teams swapped their first-round picks. While the Cowboys received the original number of the Eagles at number 23, the Eagles got 20. Besides the exchange, the Jerry Jones’ side got two additional fourth-round picks (114 and 137).

As per the league’s interference rule, when a team is on the clock, another team can’t interfere, particularly through the phone line. As the Steelers were on the phone with the Lemon, the Eagles failed to reach out to him, creating a lot of panic during that pick.

After narrowly missing out on Lemon, the Steelers picked Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, who is an offensive tackle. They, however, strengthened the wide receiver unit in the second round, picking Alabama’s Germie Bernard.

The Black and Gold were accused of doing a similar thing in the 2025 draft when they picked the defensive tackle, Derrick Harmon. While he was also a first-round ( 21st overall) pick from last year, the general manager Omar Khan reportedly called him before they were even on the clock. Unlike the Lemon saga, the move worked in their favor.

While early communication with the draft prospects may break the league’s protocol, boldly jumping up in the draft to acquire desired players isn’t unfamiliar.

Both the Steelers and Eagles used similar aggressive draft tactics in the past

The Steelers’ general manager, Omar Khan, pulled off a similar move in 2023, which earned him the nickname “The Khan Artist.” The Steelers’ primary draft target that year was the Georgia offensive tackle, Broderick Jones, who was also a top prospect for the New York Jets. With the Jets sitting at number 15 and the Steelers sitting at number 17, the former would have picked the OT.

That’s when Khan executed a calculated move, leapfrogging the Gang Green in the draft order. They exchanged their number 17 spot with the New England Patriots. Due to the swap deal, the Pats also received a fourth-round pick from the draft that year.

Similarly, the Eagles traded up three spots ( from number 25 to 22) in the 2019 NFL Draft, selecting the offensive tackle Andre Dillard. The Houston Texans, who had a pick at number 23, were favored to take the Washington State player.

After losing Dillard, the Texans selected Alabama State OT Tytus Howard, who eventually had a better career. He stayed in Houston for seven seasons until being traded to the Cleveland Browns this season.

While all signs lead to believe that Lemon could be an important piece for the Eagles’ offense, it remains to be seen whether his skill and talent will translate into the NFL. If he goes on and has a big rookie season, the Steelers would certainly have major regrets, but these kinds of things are normal in a draft, and they will be hoping their other picks that were completed deliver.